How to Carpool

By Zsa Zsa Bacaling

WHAT: There are millions of us who travel daily to and from work; driving billions of miles each year, spending lots of cash on gas and pumping tons of emissions into the atmosphere! Indeed, transportation, although a necessity today, has a negative impact on the environment. With gas prices rising, traffic congestion and air pollution on the rise, carpooling has become a smarter, eco-friendlier alternative.

WHY: Fewer cars on the road means smog reduction, global warming reduction and less air and noise pollution. When you don't have to drive every morning, you may even arrive at work less stressed, and many even enjoy the company of your carpool friends. By sharing a ride to and from work, you reduce your commute-related expenses in half. Plus with fuel prices on the rise, it makes sense to buddy up for the daily commute. What's great about this is that when you save money on your daily commute during the week, this translates to more money available for other important activities. Aside from this, you will also be able to save on repair expenses because by carpooling, you reduce wear and tear on your vehicle!

HOW:
• Pick a day or days of the week for carpooling.
• Once you already have several carpool buddies, print out your schedules - pick-up times and locations, phone numbers and addresses, then distribute it to all members. Don't forget to have a backup plan in case your driver is not available.
• Agree on your departure point. It can be the home of your driver, a convenient location that's near to both of you, or you can just ask to be picked up.
• Calculate your carpooling costs. Determine your miles and get a good estimate on your vehicle's fuel efficiency. Don't forget maintenance costs - include the cost of fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, etc.
• In case you're in the market for a new vehicle, buy a fuel-efficient one.
• Agree with your buddies to use ethanol blend gasoline.
• Reduce idling! If drivers avoided idling their vehicles for just a few minutes a day, in a year, millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other toxic substances could be prevented from entering the air!

TIP: Find databases online where you can find people to carpool with. Carpoolconnect.com and Rideshareonline.com will match people based on home and work locations. You can also use tools like ZimRide.com or GoLoco.org on Facebook to find carpools!

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